I was watching a bell choir the other day at church, and it really is quite an apt portrait of the Body of Christ. Now, I'm certain that people's hearts were beating quicker in anticipation of their turn to ring their bell, and perhaps a few people rang their bell at the wrong time. It didn't matter, though. The song was heard anyways, because a song is more than the sum of its parts. And the choir is unified by the song they sing...or ring, as the case may be."No man is an island," they say. For that matter, no one should be a lone bell, either. We all have our notes to play, but if you "play the loner," it's not too much of a song on your own (there's only so many songs you can play with one or two notes). See, what happens is every bell has a place. It takes every note to make a song. Some people feel bad that their bell isn't as impressive as another's. But all notes are important--it's the smaller bells that play the higher notes, you see.
"But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body....Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it."
I Corinthians 12:18-20,27 (NASB)
It's real beautiful when all the notes play together. You see, it's in the variety of bells that the music comes to be.
The funny thing is, we have a tendency to try and make everybody the same note. Now why do we want to go and do that? What's so scary about difference? That's where the music lies--in difference. So, sure, that person next to you may have a different sound than you. But try harmonizing. Try being a part of the bell choir.
Play your note--it's yours alone to play, but to not play alone.
And Jesus' Love is the song we play.
6 comments:
Have you ever tried playing the piano when some notes stick, and others won't play at all? It adds to your analogy. Missing notes make the tune unclear. Notes that take more than their own turn garble the beauty. When the notes work as they should, though, music has charms that soothe the savage breast!
Due to being in band for 8 years I've been taught numerous times how important it is for each part of a piece of music to be heard and how important each individual in the band is to its success - we are all needed. We are God's band (or bell choir) and He has made us each the way He has intended us to be. I shall play my part for I know it is orchestrated for His glory.
Do you ever feel like the bell on the Christmas Claymation video? I do.
Ha! I thought of the Claymation Bells during the bell choir piece last Sunday. There was a man playing the great big bass bell. He kind of looked like that bell in Claymation. I just can't watch a bell choir with a straight face anymore, even though I am enraptured by what their cooperation can do.
Yeah, it's the same for "We Three Kings". I can't sing it anymore without thinking of rockin' camels. But I digress-I think this blog was very good and I am sincerely not making fun. Do I look like a dead bug?
Haha...there are bells like those in the claymation Christmas special. It's amazing how often I identify with that one. And yes, you do look like a dead bug (but only when you curl up with your arms and legs bent...)
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